Electric bill shock

[ERCougar]

What do you guys average for electric bills in the summer? July's bill - almost $500.

Our house is large, but supposedly very well-insulated and half of the square footage is basement. We have a hot tub, but that shouldn't be a huge draw in the summer. I like it cool, so our thermostat is set to 69 at night and 74 during the day. We had a few unusually hot weeks in there, but still--this seems crazy high to me.

[Pelado]

What do you guys average for electric bills in the summer? July's bill - almost $500.

Our house is large, but supposedly very well-insulated and half of the square footage is basement. We have a hot tub, but that shouldn't be a huge draw in the summer. I like it cool, so our thermostat is set to 69 at night and 74 during the day. We had a few unusually hot weeks in there, but still--this seems crazy high to me.

Less.

[Jeff Lebowski]

My last utility bill (electric, water, sewer, etc all in one) was ~$242.

[Flystripper]

My last utility bill (electric, water, sewer, etc all in one) was ~$242.

no gas?

[Jeff Lebowski]

no gas?

That comes on a different bill. Typically ~$80.

[Bo Diddley]

This month was $110. We put in a new high efficiency a/c a couple of years ago.

[Flystripper]

That comes on a different bill. Typically ~$80.

water/sewer
electric
gas

are all separate for me. Just trying to see apples to apples.

Water/sewer 35
Electric - 130
Gas- 60

Thank goodness Thousand Oaks opens up to Camarillo to let in the ocean breeze. I barely have to run the AC.

[ERCougar]

Last month's bill was about $250. And we should have high efficiency air conditioners, I would think. I said to the contractor that I cared about energy costs.

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2

[PaloAltoCougar]

Our most recent electricity bill was $491, due to all the kids/grandkids visiting (resulting in lotsa washer/dryer use) and heavy AC demand due to the late June/early July hot spell. Gas was around $50 as I recall. The worst month for us for electricity can be December if the kids visit, due in part to the fact that I fix up the house exterior in a fashion that would make Clark Griswold blush with embarrassment.

[Flystripper]

After living in some SoCal hot spots (temp wise) I am still getting used to TO. I was shocked at how little we run the AC. It is causing a slight budget surplus since I have never had an electric bills this low in the summer. That goes for both CA and IL. This should probably be in the what's right with California thread!

http://www.weather.com/weather/tenday/Thousand+Oaks+CA+91362:4:US

[BigFatMeanie]

What do you guys average for electric bills in the summer? July's bill - almost $500.

Our house is large, but supposedly very well-insulated and half of the square footage is basement. We have a hot tub, but that shouldn't be a huge draw in the summer. I like it cool, so our thermostat is set to 69 at night and 74 during the day. We had a few unusually hot weeks in there, but still--this seems crazy high to me.

69 at night is pretty low. What's surprising is the fact that you're surprised at a $500 bill when your thermostat is on that setting at night...

[Bo Diddley]

Wow. Some of you people pay a lot. My average bills over a year come to:

$78 electricity
$36 gas
$65 water/sewer/garbage+recycling
$179 total per month

And it's not like we're super careful about the temperature we set.

[Donuthole]

$500? Wow. We don't ever go over $200 even in the summer. I guess that's the benefit of having a 2000 sq ft house and a wife who can't stand the cold. 69 degrees is pretty low; if I ever sneak the thermostat down below 75 (and believe me, I try), Mrs. D becomes very ornery.

Maybe you should invest in a $100 ceiling fan over your bed.

[ERCougar]

$500? Wow. We don't ever go over $200 even in the summer. I guess that's the benefit of having a 2000 sq ft house and a wife who can't stand the cold. 69 degrees is pretty low; if I ever sneak the thermostat down below 75 (and believe me, I try), Mrs. D becomes very ornery.

Maybe you should invest in a $100 ceiling fan over your bed.

That's what I was wondering--I knew that I liked it cooler than most (I guess that saves me money in the winter...), but wondering how much I'm paying for that. Or if there's really something messed up about our efficiency. I do have a ceiling fan, and I'll leave the window open at night if it's cool, but there were a few weeks where our lows were in the 70s. Blech.

$500 isn't really twice the power usage of $250--it's the third-tier pricing that killed me.

[PaloAltoCougar]

That's what I was wondering--I knew that I liked it cooler than most (I guess that saves me money in the winter...), but wondering how much I'm paying for that. Or if there's really something messed up about our efficiency. I do have a ceiling fan, and I'll leave the window open at night if it's cool, but there were a few weeks where our lows were in the 70s. Blech.

$500 isn't really twice the power usage of $250--it's the third-tier pricing that killed me.

Fortunately, our area cools down into the 60s or lower pretty much every summer night, save 2-3 at the most. And we have ceiling fans that get lots of use in the summer. I'm thinking of installing a whole house fan in our second floor hallway that, when outdoor temps drop below 72, draws the cooler air comes in through the downstairs windows and blows the warmer upstairs air out through the attic vents. Supposedly, in less than an hour the whole house and attic are cool and it gives the house a nice head start on the next day. I'm told it'll pay for itself in a year.